Christina Cordner, Official Fan Reporter

Brian Scott's Future Uncertain; Why he Belongs in the Sprint Cup Series

November 20/15 Brian Scott started out his NASCAR career in the Camping World Truck Series in 2007 driving for Xpress Motorsports, but first ran the full schedule (then 25 races) in 2008. In 2009, he got his first win in the series on May 30th at Dover International Speedway and finished a Truck Series career high of 7th in the points standings. In Victory Lane, he was extremely excited and in true Brian Scott fashion, thanked his fans for their support.

The Boise, Idaho native has been racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on a full-time basis since 2010. He started off his rookie year driving for Bruan Racing and finished it off with RAB Racing. He then joined Joe Gibbs racing for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, where he had some success. He also ran 5 truck races for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2012, capturing his second career victory on November 9th 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. This win brought a huge relief to Brian, as it helped his future.

Brian's NASCAR Xfinity Series career really took a drastic turn for the better when he signed with Richard Childress Racing in 2013, the team he has been driving for ever since. In his first season with RCR, the then 25 year old posted 13 top 10s, which at the time was a career high. He also posted his first two second-place finishes at Indianapolis and Richmond. Under the lights on Friday September 6th, the driver of the number 2 car had the best performance of his career, impressing many. Starting from the pole position, Brian led 239 of the 250 laps. However, those that he did not lead were the final 11 laps. The last restart provided much controversy as Brad Keselowski jumped said restart. Brian was able to finish second, but was understandably unhappy. Until the caution flag waved with 11 laps to go, his first career Xfinity Series win was minutes away.

After the race, the understandably upset driver had the following to say. "On the last restart, I was shocked," Scott said. "We weren’t even to the entrance to pit road, and he started going, which was two or three car-lengths before the restart zone, and he had me cleared before we even got to the exit of the restart zone (indicated by a red line on the wall).”

Scott continued "One, it took away a possibility for our team and everybody at Richard Childress Racing to contend for that win, and two, it eliminated what could have been an exciting race for the fans, if we could have been side by side going into the first corner and racing the way racing should be at these short tracks."

Since then, Brian has seen success in his Xfinity Series career. He has recorded 53 top 10s through Phoenix on November 14th 2015. He finished runner up at Kentucky in September of 2014 and Talladega in May of 2014. He has also recorded 3 pole positions. In 2013 he finished a then career high 7th in points, bettering that with a 4th place points position in 2014. Also, he has really improved his number of laps led. In 2013 he led a career high 254 laps, after leading only 24 laps prior to that season. In 2014 he led 130 laps, and as of Phoenix in 2015, he has led 251 laps this year, meaning at Homestead he needs to lead 3 laps to tie his career high and 4 laps for 2015 to become his new career high of laps led.

It needs to also be taken into consideration, that it is much harder for Xfinity regulars to win as on any given week you have anywhere from 2 to 5 Cup Series drivers in the race (with very few exceptions such as non-companion races), and most are top name drivers. For example Kyle Busch is in nearly every race, and Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano share a ride when Ryan Blaney is not in the car. This year only 10 of the 32 races so far (less than 1/3rd) have been won my non-cup regulars.

Brian's first Sprint Cup Series start came on October 12th 2013 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the number 33 Shore Lodge Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. While he only finished 27th, he was able to finish the race without any issues, despite being 4 laps down.

Over the course of 2014 and 2015, the Xfinity Series regular has competed in another 16 Cup races at a wide variety of tracks including his first Daytona 500 in 2014 when he was running in 25th at the finish despite a few on track issues. He still runs the same number and scheme as in his first start along with Whitetail and Albertsons coming on board as sponsors, but this car is owned by Joe Faulk's team Circle Sport Racing. However, it has a strong alliance with Richard Childress Racing when Brian or another RCR driver is in the car.

Brian won the pole position at Talladega on May 4th 2014. He has also been improving a great deal in the highest series of the sport. As of his most recent Cup start, he now has 3 top 15 finishes, with a career best of 12th. He is making a great showing in the Series. He has by far, been the best performer of the many drivers of the 33 car. He is a crucial element to improving the team's points position.

Brian strongly feels that he is ready for the Sprint Cup Series and I think that many will agree with him. However, he does not have anything lined up as of November 17th. “I don’t have plans yet,” Brian stated recently. “We’re focused really hard in moving into the Sprint Cup and finding a competitive ride, but really, the options are slim up there, and they are tough to find. But really, we’re focused on making that step up and putting together the pieces that we need to for a competitive ride, and trying to not be in the XFINITY Series on a full-time points basis.” He also noted that he has explored all current options. He has been in talks with RCR as running a 4th Cup car is a possibility. Another possibility is an aligned similar to what he is currently driving. He is also willing to cut ties with RCR if need be for his future. “We’re not closing any doors; we’re open to all opportunities, and nothing is off the table right now,” he commented. “We’re exploring everything and be very thorough in this process” he said. While Brian has not yet scored any Xfinity Series wins, he believes that he is ready for Cup and has been for a couple of years due to his consistency and his understanding of the variety of the tracks. “It’s really about an opportunity thing,” he commented. “The right opportunities haven’t come up in the past, and I have been content to run in the XFINITY Series. I think the difference is this year, I’m ready to draw a line in the sand and say I don’t want to continue to find what’s easy out there and do the same thing. I really want to take that next step, and push for all or nothing.” A victory could very likely help him advance to the highest level of NASCAR racing.

2015 is Looking Brighter for Brian Scott..... with a String of 3 Top 10s

May 13/15 The Lone Star State brought forth the first night race of the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. At Texas Motor Speedway, Brian Scott qualified in the 7th position. On lap 22, Brian took the lead and held the top spot for 26 laps, however the handling on the rear of the car went away, causing him to fall to the 9th position. The team discovered a tire issue, but after taking 4 fresh tires and making a chassis adjustment on the pit stop, they were unable to rebound. When all was said and done, he brought home a 10th place finish in his Albertsons / Reser's Chevy. The 10th place finish marks Scott's fourth top 10 finish of the season and moves Scott to 9th in the championship point standings. That is an improvement of 9 spots after sitting 18th in points after the race at Daytona to start the season.

The following week brought the series to Bristol Motor Speedway, a short track located in Tennessee that has not been known to favor Brian in the past. He had only scored 4 top 10s in his previous 12 races at the track entering this April's race. He started the race in the 4th position, which was his 5th top 10 starting position this season. Even after lacking grip early in the race, he spent most of the race inside the top 5, running as high as 2nd (for 10 laps) after a great restart on lap 189. Lapped traffic got heavy on lap 242 and after a pit stop under caution with 19 laps to go, the 27 year old brought the Shore Lodge Chevy home in the 8th position, marking his 5th top 10 at the famed half mile speedway known as “Thunder Valley.” Scott, after the race, admitted that he struggles at Bristol, and that he lacked the grip needed to help him turn and drive-off. He also stated that the result should have been better.

The next stop on the schedule was Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. In his first 8 Xfinity Series starts at the track, his average finishing position was 25.9, with a best finish of 14th. However, on the night of September 6th 2013, that all changed. Brian started on the pole for the 3rd time in his Xfinity Series career and the 2nd time at Richmond (both coming in 2013). In that race, Brian led the first 239 of 250 laps. However, fate was not on his side. The driver in second place, Brad Keselowski jumped the final 2 restarts and passed Brian. When the checkered flag waved, Brad was the winner and Brian had to settle for 2nd. Brian was quoted in saying after the race, "We deserved to win that race," as he climbed from the car while Keselowski celebrated on the track. "Just some restarts and some questionable calls got us there at the end," followed by "Unfortunately, our whole night now is defined by the last two restarts".

This year, Brian wasn't quite able to match the results of that night. However, after starting 5th, he battled loose conditions early in the race. The Safeway/Reser’s pit crew was able to make adjustments that enabled Scott to run in the top 5 for much of the race, and even lead a lap. When they crossed the start/finish line for the final time, Brian brought the car home in the 7th postion.

Stay tuned for a separate article recapping his weekend at Talladega.

In closing, I am including this photo in memory of Steve Byrnes. He will be greatly missed. May he rest in peace, my thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

March 28/15 Well, I have to start this article on a sad, but hopeful note. Brian Vickers, who just made his return to racing at Las Vegas after having heart surgery in December, is once again on the sidelines due to a medical issue. During the week, Brian recognized the symptoms and got himself medical treatment, where it was discovered that for the 3rd time in 6 years, he is once again suffering from blood clots. This time in his lungs. He once again must be on blood thinners (and you can't race on blood thinners) and missed Sunday's race at California and will miss the following races until further notice. However, Brian has said in a statement that they caught it early and he will be ok. The 31 year old also has a strong support system around him. With that and his upbeat personality, he will get through this hurdle. Brett Moffitt drove the number 55 Toyota at California and will do so at Martinsville.

The heartbreak for Vickers, comes after disappointment on track in Phoenix. Brian started the race in the 18th position, however, though it wasn't his fault, he hit the wall on the 2nd lap of the race. This put him in the garage for quite awhile. He wound up finishing 41st, 82 laps down. The young driver has only been able to race twice this season.

Uplifting Runs for Scott

Another driver by the name of Brian, Brian Scott, had things go much better over the past 2 race weekends. First, he pulled double duty at Phoenix International Raceway, running both the Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series races.

On Saturday during Xfinity series qualifying, the Albertson's/Sanderson Farms Chevy advanced to the final round, by being in the top 12. However, he ultimately started 12th due to getting a flat tire during the 2nd round. He chose not to change the tire, as not to receive a penalty (which would result in him going to the rear of the field to start the race). Brian ran consistently all race long, often finding himself in the top 10. The car got tighter towards the end of the race and started to, as Brian put it “plow plow plow.” However, he was able to bring it home in the 10th position, a good result considering. The top 10 finish also moved him up from 17th place in the points to 14th.

Next on the circuit was Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The 27 year old driver of the number 2 Vons/Reesers Chevy, ran fantastic all race long. He started on the outside of the front row beside pole sitter Erik Jones. However, eventual race winner Kevin Harvick battled early with Jones, resulting in Brian not being able to complete his pass for the lead. Harvick had the dominant car and no matter how hard they tried, Brian or any other driver, were unable to catch him, although Brian spent most of the race inside the top 5. After being one of several drivers to scrape the wall late in the race, he finished a respectable 6th. This finish also allowed him to break into the top 10 in points, as he is currently holding the 10th position.

Brian also raced in the Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday. He qualified the number 33 Whitetail Chevy in the 25th position, after just missing the 2nd round. Brian moved up through the field quickly and ran wonderfully all day. He even ran as high as 7th, and at the halfway point of the race was 8th. However, many factors including, a pit crew error, scraping the wall, and an ill handling car relegated him to a 27th place finish, which was, as stated, not at all indicative of his day. However, he was able to complete every lap.

Neither Brian will be running at Martinsville, so stay tuned when they travel to the Lone Star State.

March 14/15 The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as well as the Xfinity series, traveled to Las Vegas to race last weekend. Brian Scott was pulling double duty, racing on both Saturday and Sunday. Brian Vickers made his return to racing after being sidelined following heart surgery in December.

Brian Scott had a disappointing day on Saturday in the Xfinity series race. After having to change the engine on Friday, Brian was 2nd fastest in the final practice session. He then qualified 2nd, but after that disaster struck. He suffered engine problems right from the start and after only 14 laps, the engine completely expired. He suffered his 2nd DNF of the season and was scored in the 38th position. This also caused him to drop from 7th to 14th in points. He sits 57 points behind leader Ty Dillon.

Sunday went much better for the 27 year old driver. He was able to advance to the 2nd round of qualifying and started the number 33 Chevy in the 23rd position on Sunday. Brian was running a good race, however a speeding penalty left him 36th and a lap down. This did not dampen the spirits of Brian and the 33 team though. He rallied back and eventually benefited from the lucky dog rule on a caution, thus winding up on the lead lap, once again. Brian then picked off cars here and there, and when the race was over, brought home a 13th place finish. This was also a lead lap finish. It was the first top 15 of Brian's Cup career and hopefully a sign of what's to come for the young driver. I personally believe that he has what it takes to become a full time driver in the Sprint Cup Series. I have learned this by following his career since 2009, when he was racing full time in the Camping World Truck Series.

Bscott, as he is affectionately referred to by fans, will not be racing in the Sprint Cup Series at Phoenix International Raceway, however, look for him in the number 2 Alberton's Chevy on Saturday in the Xfinity Series race. Brian got his 2nd truck series victory at the Arizona track in 2012, driving the number 18 Dollar General Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. In the Xfinity Series, Brian has 4 top 10s at the 1 mile track. He has completed 90.8% of the laps and has an average start of 13th and an average finish of 14.1.

Brian Vickers ran well in his first race of the season. He had qualified 28th on Friday, and was set to finally run the 400 miles that made up the Kobalt Tools 400. He ran consistently all day, staying around the top 15 and was on the lead lap for most of the race. When all was said and done, the 31 year old driver brought his car home in the 15th position. It was a great result for his first race in about 4 months. He was also only 1 lap down, meaning he completed 398.5 of those 400 miles. The race in Phoenix should bring another positive outcome for the driver of the number 55 Toyota.

Vickers has mixed results at Phoenix International Raceway. In 16 starts at the track he has 1 top 10 and 1 top 5, however his average start is 14.4 and his average finish is 22.8. He is going to do his very best to turn those averages around this year and I believe he can do it. I've followed Brian for over a decade, and when adversity is thrown his way, he overcomes it and is stronger than ever.

March 7/15Both Brian Scott and Brian Vickers will be competing in Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brian Scott will be making his first Sprint Cup Series start of 2015 after narrowly missing the field for the Daytona 500 and giving up his ride to good friend Michael Annett, who unfortunately, missed the field last weekend at Atlanta. Brian Vickers will also be making his first start of the 2015 season, but his absence from the first two races was for a much different reason.

Brian Vickers, 31 has seen success in his career with a 2003 Xfinity Series Championship, and 3 Sprint Cup Series wins, but he has also endured a few medical setbacks in his career. In 2010, at the very young age of 26, Brian wasn't feeling well and got himself to the hospital. It was discovered that he had blood clots that started in his leg and traveled to his lungs. While in the hospital, he was also found to have a hole in his heart. For the blood clots, he was put on a blood thinner medication. However, this remedy came with serious, life threatening risks if he were to get into an accident. He was unable to race for the rest of the season.

The first word I think of when I think of Brian Vickers is perseverance. He returned to racing in 2011 and has dealt with his fair share of hardship. The team he drove for closed it's doors, only running a partial Cup schedule, and again in late 2013, he suffered another blood clot in his leg. Brian sprained his foot in a crash at Bristol, and wearing a protective boot gave him a blood clot. He was put on a different blood thinner medication and sat out the rest of the season. 2014 held more promise for the young driver, coming off with a Sprint Cup Series win at Loudon in 2013, he had a mediocre season, but was able to avoid any medical issues. Until December that is.

Come December, Brian was suffering from severe chest pain. He immediately got to the hospital and discovered this would be the worst setback he has had. The patch that was put in his heart in 2010 was rejected by his body. Brian underwent open heart surgery just 2 months after celebrating his 31st birthday. It was a rough road and he spent about 3 months recovering with support from his wife Sarah, family, friends, and the NASCAR community. The doctors even told him that they feel better about his heart than they did before the surgery. Thankfully, he is doing well, and as of Friday's practice session, he successfully turned his first laps since November's season finale at Homestead. He has already been granted a medical waiver by NASCAR allowing him to make the Chase.

Personally, when the news broke in December, I was floored. Hasn't he been through enough? He's only 31. Relief came in the form of the words “he will make a full recovery” and the fact that he was able to include his own personal thoughts in the statement that was released by Michael Waltrip Racing. We later were able to see Facebook and Twitter posts from him as well as pictures and even a video from the Michael Waltrip Racing Christmas party. Lately, he has appeared at Media Day in both Charlotte and Daytona and has attended both races this season. Now, he is healthy again and racing.

The focus is now on Las Vegas for both drivers who share a first name. They also share similar statistics at the 1.5 mile track, though Vickers, has cup Series stats to go by and Scott only has Xfinity and Truck Series results so far.

Vickers began racing in the Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2004 for Hendrick Motorsports. At the start of the 2007 season, he moved over to the newly formed team Red Bull Racing, though Vegas was one of the races that he failed to qualify for that year. When that team closed it's doors at the end of the 2011 season, he raced in the Cup Series part-time in 2012 and 2013, although Vegas was not on his schedule either year. He did however, race at the track in 2014.

In 8 starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brian Vickers has earned 2 top 10s. He however, has completed 87.8% of the laps. His average starts and finishes are in need of some improvement, but could be a lot worse, as they are 21 and 21.8 respectively. He does only have 1 DNF, which was in 2005.

Brian Scott has completed 83.7% of the laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series and 90.2% of the starts in the Camping World Truck Series. He has run 5 Xfinity and 3 Truck races at the Nevada track. For Xfinity, his average start is 6.6 and his average finish is 19. However, the finishes are marred by 2 DNFs resulting from crashes in 2010 and 2012, the latter of which he has said to be one of the hardest hits of his career. Aside from those races, he has 3 top 15s at the track, 2 of which were top 10s. In Trucks, his average start is 24.7 and his average finish is 20.7. His Cup Series performance at the track is yet to be determined, however, over the past 2 seasons he has really improved at mile and a half tracks. In my personal opinion and observations, Richard Childress Racing is an excellent fit for Brian Scott and it is only a matter of time until we see him win his first Xfinity Series race.

March 3/15 Well, as you know, my articles at the moment are centering around Brian Scott. He is the full time driver of the number 2 Shore Lodge/Albertson's Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series. However, he is also a part time driver of the number 33 Shore Lodge/Whitetail/Albertson's Chevy for owner Joe Falk and Circle Sport Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. The 33 car is affiliated with RCR.

In my last article, I talked about how Brian was attempting to make the Daytona 500. Sadly, lady luck was not on his side, however, this was not for a lack of effort. During Sunday qualifying a wreck occurred involving Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer, among others. Brian was able to avoid the wreck, but it prevented him from getting up to speed on his second lap and therefore starting in the back of the pack for the second duel race on Thursday night, and not being locked in.

Come Thursday, Brian was running a great, clean race. His goal was simple, a top 16 finish and he was in the Great American Race. He ran inside the top 16 all race long. However, a wreck triggered by Denny Hamlin, turned Danica Patrick around. Brian had nowhere to go. However, all hope wasn't lost. The car was able to be repaired and when they took the white flag, it looked like he may have made it in after all. RCR drivers Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon must have forgotten that they had a 3rd teammate. They were both locked in to Sunday's race, yet passed Brian on the track and, in my humble opinion, essentially hung him out to dry. The young Boise, Idaho native missed the field by 1 spot and was heartbroken.

As for Daytona in general, the Xfinity series outcome for Brian was just as bleak. He ran well all race long, just to be caught up in a late race accident. He did not finish and was scored in the 25th position. This was his first DNF since Talladega last spring.

The Daytona 500 in general was an exciting race. Jeff Gordon started on the pole in what was likely his last start in the Great American race. The 43 year old veteran led the most laps of the day with 87, however, a last lap crash scored him 33rd. When the checkered flag fell, 24 year old Joey Logano won. The rest of the top 5 consisted of last season's Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr, Denny Hamlin, and six time champion Jimmie Johnson.

Next came a weekend of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Brian Scott was entered in both the Xfinity and Sprint Cup Series races.

On Friday, he qualified the number 33 Chevy for Joe Falk and Circle Sport Racing in the 32nd position. The car had run sub par in Thursday's test session and Friday's practices, as well. Michael Annett, a good friend of Brian's who has a full year sponsor with Pilot Flying J wasn't able to qualify as his was one of several cars that didn't make it through technical inspection in time. Since Michael is running for drivers points in the Cup series and Brian isn't, Brian willingly allowed Michael to drive the 33 car in Sunday's race. This showed that driving is what Brian does. His act in the video clip of his wedding, that has gone viral, and giving up his ride to a good friend is who he is as a person. The 33 car wound up 29th, after some fellow competitors were knocked out of the race due to accidents occurring.

Speaking of the wedding clip gone viral, on January 25th 2014 Brian and Whitney Kay got married. Her then 3 year old daughter played a significant role in the wedding and not only as their flower girl. The couple exchanged heartfelt vows, but a very special moment was then shared. Brian got down to Brielle's level and recited a set of vows to his daughter. At the end of the day, he promised through sweet words to always provide her with comfort and love through actions that he mentioned and to show her how a man should treat a woman through his relationship with her mother. There was not a dry eye in attendance.

Both Brian Scott and Brian Vickers will be racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway so stay tuned for more articles featuring both drivers.Send Me a Tweet:@ChristinaC87

Daytona - Let It Begin

Feb 12/15 The Daytona 500 is quickly approaching. It will be held on Sunday February 22nd in Daytona Beach, Florida. This race, the season opener, is the biggest race of the year for NASCAR. Every driver wants to win it and get their name both on the famous Harley J. Earl Trophy and in the record books as a Champion of the Great American Race.

In my articles, I will be covering the young driver Brian Scott, when he is in that week's Sprint Cup Series race, also when he makes his return to competition, at the 3rd race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after recovering from off season heart surgery. I will be covering veteran driver Brian Vickers, driver of the number 55 Aaron's Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing. This particular article will focus on Brian Scott.

Twenty seven year old Brian Scott, who drives the number 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet on a weekly basis for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will be attempting to make his 2nd Daytona 500 start driving the number 62 Chevrolet, for Premium Motorsports, a new team with which the majority owner is Jay Robinson. The car will be prepared by Richard Childress Racing with the engine being provided by ECR. In 2014, Scott started the race in the 12th position, after racing his way into the field in the second duel race on Thursday night. Despite some on track incidents, he was able to bring it home in the 25th position.

For the 2015 season, Scott will attempt on Sunday February 15th to start on the front row for the following Sunday's 500 mile race. That qualifying session, which for the first year will be implemented for the February Daytona race, will be a group format. The qualifying session will also set the field for Thursday's duel races. The odd numbered qualifiers will be in the first race and the even numbered positions will make up the field for the second race. If you are not able to race your way in, positions 32-36 are set by qualifying times from Sunday's group session. Positions 37-42 will go to the highest 6 cars in 2014 owner's points, who are not already locked in. Position 43 is reserved for a past champion of the series, who is not yet in the race, providing the driver has raced in 2014. If no driver falls into that category, the final position will be awarded to the 7th highest car in last year's owner's points, who is not yet in the race.

Brian is coming off of a great 2014 season. He ran 6 cup races, earning his very first Sprint Cup Series pole position at Talladega in the spring, and completed every lap at Homestead to wrap up the season. It should also be noted that Brian has 7 cup starts with the first coming in the fall Charlotte race in 2013.

Scott is also coming off of his best Xfinity Series season to date. Out of the 33 races on the series schedule, he recorded 6 top 5 finishes (including being runner up at Kentucky), a remarkable 23 top 10s, and 3 pole positions. He finished 4th in the final points standings at the end of the year.

The young driver, who married his wife Whitney in January of 2014 at the Shore Lodge resort in McCall, Idaho, which also serves as one of his sponsors, is entering the 2015 season after a fabulous personal offseason. The couple welcomed their second child Joseph Baylor Scott into the world in late November. In fact he was worried about having to rush home from the season ending championship banquet to be there for the birth of his first son. Brian and Whitney's daughter Brielle is four years old.

Also, as I am going to write about Brian Vickers, I wanted to touch on the fact that he is returning to Sprint Cup Series competition starting with the third race of the year, Las Vegas. I (as I know everyone is) am thrilled to hear that he is recovering so well and will be able to race soon.

Brian is expected to have a wonderful 2015 season overall and capture his first Xfinity series win.

Feb 11/ 15Christina Cordner has enjoyed the sport of NASCAR since 1996. Her favorite drivers include Brian Scott, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, and Jamie McMurray. She attended her first race in 1997 and has since been to Pocono, Dover, Richmond, and Watkins Glen.She has enjoyed every minute of it. She also loves watching Indycar and attending races at Pocono. Her favorite driver is Josef Newgarden.She graduated college in 2012 with a degree in Communications and has interned at a local paper, where part of her duties included a weekly NASCAR column. She has also written freelance for another local newspaper. Her favorite thing about NASCAR is when at a live race, the cars take the green flag and roar by you. That feeling is amazing. When watching at home, her favorite thing is seeing who will take the checkered flag first to claim the victory.

Outside of racing, Christina enjoys spending time and talking with family and friends whether it be in person, over the phone, or online. She enjoys collecting diecast, trading cards, and other items pertaining to NASCAR and especially her favorite drivers. She also enjoys listening to music, watching movies, football, NASCAR of course, and TV. Her favorite football teams are the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers.